Rating:  -
SUPERMAN is one of those flop musicals that was just so, so, so close to being a hit. It had all the right ingredients: A very funny book (by Robert Benton and David Newman, who would hit it big the next year as screenwriters of BONNIE AND CLYDE), a tuneful score with at least one obvious hit ("You've Got Possibilities"), a fine cast, a distinctive production, and a rave review from the New York TIMES. So what happened? Basically, the story was weak. (Story counts; Strouse and Adams' next show, APPLAUSE, had a disappointing score and book, but the strength of its storyline helped carry it to the hit column.) The main plot hooks -- Superman doubting himself; Lois Lane considering marrying someone else -- weren't particularly interesting, and the show was dominated to an inordinate extent by characters who were really peripheral: Jack Cassidy as a Winchell-type columnist and Linda Lavin as his secretary. Maybe some of the show's problems were due to Harold Prince's relative inexperience as a director. If Newman and Benton would reunite to strengthen the story just a little (without losing too many of the hilarious lines from their book), this show really could be the hit it should have been in 1966.
Until then, we have the album, and it's great. Except for one horrible number ("It's Super Nice," which apparently was even worse onstage), it doesn't sound like a flop; Strouse and Adams are at their considerable peak with wonderful tunes and witty lyrics (Lois sings of Superman: "Tell me please, when will he learn it's not some silly fly-by-night affair?"). The album is one of the best ever produced by Columbia's Goddard Lieberson, with great stereo sound, superb performances (especially from Cassidy and Lavin), and somewhat more dialogue than usual -- so we get such goodies as Cassidy's hilarious speeches in his two solos. Plus the CD has bonus tracks in the form of demo recordings of cut songs played and sung by Strouse, including the amusing (if dramatically irrelevant) "Dot Dot Dot." This CD was one of the best in the long-defunct Sony Broadway series, and it is one of the most entertaining cast albums of any flop show. It's too bad that the CD couldn't reproduce the brilliant back cover of the original LP (done in the form of an issue of the "Daily Planet"), but you can't have everything. Get the CD and enjoy.
Rating:  -
"Superman"has been in every aspect of the entertainment industry.Radio,Movie cartoons,Two movie serials(that Featured the first actor to play him:Kirk Alyn),five feature films,two live action hit tv series,numerious tv cartoons.But Now? "The Man Of Steel"makes the ultimate leap to the legitmate stage in a musical comedy that pre-dates ABC TV's"BatMan"craze by a few weeks."It's A Bird,It's A Plane,It's Superman!"was a hit on Broadway.Due to the songs from it's two tunesmiths:Charlie Strouse & Lee Adams.And from the cast members.Who give the songs,meaning ,heart and a sense of fun.Though "It's Superman!"had a brief life at NYC's:Alvin Theater"(Now known as The Neil Simon Theater)in l966.The show's popularity with audiences can be heard again thru this wonderful CD edition of the production's orginal cast album.Bob Holliday is inspiring in his dual portrayal of "Clark Kent & Superman"As Mr.Holliday performs"Doing Good!"(A Superhero's Creado")and the tradgitic Ballard"Why Must The Strongest Man In The World?!"."Pat Merrand is charming as "Lois Lane"(Especially when Ms.Merrand performs"What I've Always Wanted!").Linda Lavin recreates her Tony award winning performance of the show's hit Tune"You've Got Possiblities!"and "Oh! Do You Love You!"(Ms.Lavin's sateric ode to Arrogance and Vainity).There are also some memorable performances from Don Chastian (Who performs:We Don't Matter At All! With Ms.Merrand),Mike O'Sullivan gives pogience to "Revenge!"and Shares a musical moment with Jack Cassidy for "You've Got What I Need Baby!"(The Super Villian's Anthem)and Jack Cassidy displays his charm ,witt and ego as Conniving,vendictive and ego tripping gossip collumnist "Max Menkins in"You're The Woman For The Man!"and"So Long Big Guy!".This Cd also showcases some tunes that never appeared in the original Broadway production"Dot Dot Dot..End Of Paragraph!"and some others performed by Strouse and Adams.For Anyone.Who has seen this musical on Broadway(and I was one of those lucky kids.Who enjoyed this show back in l966).It's trip back to classic theater.For those..Who have never seen "It's Superman!"or who enjoy anything connected to Segal And Shuster's imortal Superhero? This is a treat that You'll want to share with your family,friends and fellow "Superman"and Musical theater buffs.Kevin S.Butler Mamaroneck,New York.
Rating: -
This is one of my favorite cast albums, and one of those shows that I'll always wish I had been able to see in its original Broadway incarnation. Although there's nothing spectacularly good about it, to be frank, I do think the music is quite hummable and pretty and the lyrics are often very clever. I guess the main reason I like it so much is that it's just silly, campy fun that feels absolutely anchored in 1966 -- the year it ran on Broadway. Whenever I listen to it, I'm automatically transported back to the mid-60's -- an era of Lost in Space, Batman, the Pan Am Building, the great space race and super-groovy dance music.
To get a good feel for the style of the show, try listening to some of the tracks from it. (Since they're not available on this Amazon page, you might try doing an Internet search for "superman musical" and you're sure to find a few fan sites with audio tracks from the original cast album. However, make sure you buy it from good old Amazon.com!) Start with track 4, "It's Superman", Lois Lane's lament about how difficult it is to love a strong, silent type like Superman. It makes me smile every time I hear it, because even though it's a very pretty song with a silly, tongue-in-cheek lyric, it's sung in a completely earnest style, making it the height of campy sincerity.
The other track which I think really captures the tone of the show -- and firmly places it in its era -- is track 10, "It's Super Nice", the closing number of Act I. It's the authors' attempt to prove how contemporary and cool they were, by including 60's-style psychedelic dance music. I'm sure it was the height of Establishment hip back then, but today, it's more enjoyable as a campy artifact from a more innocent time.
This style of show may not be your cup of tea, and you might actually find it irritating -- I notice someone here refers to it as unexciting, boring and dumb. Ouch! If, however, you're a fan of mid-60's fluff, and are looking for something that is sweet and silly and fun, this is definitely a show for you. Enjoy!
Rating: -
Just received that recording and it's a pure delight! The Music's a mixture of Rock'n-Rollesque Motifs a là Bye Bye Birdie and swinging songs a là All American. The best Songs: maybe "It's Superman", "We don`t matter at all", "The Woman for the Man", "I've got what you need" and the greatly hilarious "You've got possibilities". And not to forget the bonus tracks with Strouse and Adams singing (mostly) left out songs. Strange: Strouse's voice sounds very differently to his voice on the bonus tracks of "Applause". Anyway: Go and buy it!!!!!!!!
Rating: -
Charles Strouse is one of the best composers you could ask for (even if he is a pretty average singer - as the bonus tracks of this CD will attest). The music he has written for Superman is very brassy, full of energy and quite beautiful in places. If the lyrics to most of the songs weren't so obviously confining (a song about Superman ignoring Lois can only ever be about Superman ignoring Lois) they would have major singers clamouring all over them. The lyrics are well suited to the topic, but one can't help wishing there was a completely instrumental version, just to hear the beautiful horn music behind Lois' first solo, or the smooth, sashaying music behind Linda Lavin's songs. Thoroughly recommended. A word of warning though, it gets in your blood, and irritates the hell out of the people around you (who might not want to hear it for the sixteenth time in a week).
|
